Memories of Sunlight
by EchoesInTheForest
Summary: Caroline, imprisoned in a cell, slowly feeling her life slipping away, remembers Klaus.
1. Chapter 1 : Caged

Dim sunlight filtered through her cell, casting a shadow over the bruised and bloody girl lying on the floor. For her, it was a constant temptation, to simply step out in the sunlight – her captors had long since taken her daylight ring, and end this world of pain and torture. She knew that she had to resist, had to stay strong so that when her friends rescued her, and that they_ would_, she could finally be free.

The days had blurred into a ceaseless hum. She didn't know how long she had been a prisoner, only that the thirst in her throat had long since dulled from a fire that ignited every-time she breathed, to a dull ache. She knew that she was dying, could feel it in her bones, see it in the greyness of her skin. Before long she would wither, until nothing remained but ash. Her dress, the one that she had worn to that _stupid_ party was in tatters. She slid back into unconsciousness, remembering the glitter of lights and the gentle beats of music.

"How do I look" Caroline asked Elena. "Great" her friend replied, distractedly. Caroline twirled her pale blue dress, checking her hair and makeup in the mirror. _She's probably just thinking about Damon. Or Stefan, _she thought. "Matt's here" Elena said, grabbing her jacket. "Great, oh- and Elena?" Caroline called "Yeah?" Elena replied, looking back at her. Caroline looked her friend in the eye "tonight, can we just pretend that no creepy Originals live in town, that you're not constantly in an epic love triangle between two guys, and pretend that everything is normal and happy?".

Elena rolled her eyes. "You know, just saying that probably just jinxed the entire night" "but fine, I will, it would be nice to have one night without drama".

Arriving at the party in the Salvadore Mansion, Caroline spotted her friends, Matt and Jeremy were at the bar. Damon had stolen a bottle of whisky and was secretly swigging away in a corner, watching everyone, _probably making some secret plan for world domination_, Caroline thought. Stefan quickly whisked Elena away, leaving Caroline at the bar to sip her champagne. She could feel the beat of the music reverberating through her glass, shaking the liquid, could feel the people dancing on the floor's pulses increase as the tempo increased, making her undead heart beat faster, her throat burst into flames with thirst. She sipped on her drink, _not now Caroline, deep breaths._

"Hello sweetheart" she heard from behind her, so close that she could feel the warm breath on her neck, sending a tingle down her back. She sighed. "Klaus, what are you doing here?" she sighed, _can't I have one frickin' night without him stalking me?_ "Well, I thought that you might like some company, what with my errant hybrid Tyler currently occupied with Hayley". She could see the flash in his eye, the pupils darkening as his anger for the Lockwood boy grew. Caroline couldn't help but feel an ache in her heart. At first it had seemed the perfect plan, distract Klaus, pretend that Tyler had cheated on her with Hayley, but as the lies and deceit grew thicker, as Klaus had shown more and more of his true self, telling her stories of his life and of great art, she had become to feel guilty about lying to him. The rift that separated her and Tyler had become an enormous stretch, impossible to reach across. Whenever she saw Tyler, all he was focused on was freeing hybrids, his mind distant, and Hayley seemed to be the only one he could completely trust.

Caroline tried to smile, but Klaus could see the pain in her eyes, the slight downturn of her shoulders, the slight sigh that escaped her lips. "Dance with me" he offered. Before she could retort, he had grabbed hold of her hand, twirling her around, his hand on her waist. She could feel her heartbeat increase at his touch, knew that he could hear it. Suddenly the music slowed, changed to a slow dance song. _Great, like a scene in every corny love movie that has ever been made_, she thought_. _"Did you compel the DJ to do that?" she asked him. He grinned, his dimples lighting up his face "You'll never know, sweetheart".

Caroline, her mind now drawn back to the present, to the dank cell, smiled. A small tear escaped her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2: Aches of the Lost Love

Looking back on her life, she realized that she had spent most of it bickering over stupid things, like which guy liked her most, how she looked, and constantly competing with Elena. She regretted the fact that she had never found _true_ love. The kind of love that burns through your entire body, that shakes your entire world, the kind of love that wouldn't try to change you, but would simply accept your flaws, embrace them, and tell you that you were beautiful. Before she had become a vampire she had never truly believed in soul mates, believing that love was commitment, a house and a family. Now that she faced eternity without her mom, without her friends, she believed, hoped even, that there had to be someone that would by her side forever.

Matt was sweet, and committed, Tyler had understood her, Damon…. Well, he had pretty much used her for a gigantic blood and sex toy. And well, Klaus, that was just far too complicated to understand. What kind of girl feels _anything _but hatred for the man who imprisoned her and tried to use her for a freaky sacrifice? What did it say about her that he made her feel more _alive _despite the fact that she was dead? Perhaps she was just a neurotic freak with a belated case of Stockholm Syndrome?

She had to get out of this cell, godammit! She was Caroline _Forbes_. She didn't sit around waiting for a handsome prince in shining armour to save her and ride off into the sunset. She giggled, slightly insanely, imagining Klaus in armour.

The door on her prison cell slammed open. A man, tall with dark skin and black hair, eyes that were pitch black and bore into her with intensity walked through the door. "Hey Care" Tyler said.

Despite everything, Caroline wasn't surprised. She shouldn't have been, should have thought that he would care more. Tyler had noticed Klaus's fondness of her, had used it for his benefit before. With more of his Hybrids free everyday, Tyler had become the new Hybrid Alpha (King, Lord, whatever).

"What do you want?" she rasped, the coals in her throat bursting into flame as she smelt the blood that he had recently drunk. "Nothing, well, I just wanted to say that I was sorry -". If Caroline hadn't been half-dead of thirst, she would have kicked him where it hurt, but instead she interrupted his speech. "You better be sorry, because when I get out of here, I am going to _rip your heart out!" _she whispered. "You're as bad as Stefan when he tried to kill Elena by driving off Wicketty Bridge to get Klaus to call off his hybrids!" Tyler paced the room, his temper building, "You don't understand" his voice getting louder. "He's controlling us, forcing us to do things that we wouldn't ever do" "yeah, and what do you call this?" she gestured to cell around her "You're as bad as Klaus now" she retorted.

Tyler stormed out of the room, not before throwing a small bag on the ground, into the small patch of sunlight, its red contents sloshing as it hit the floor. Caroline resisted the urge to rip open the bag, to _drown _herself in the blood that stood less than a metre away. "You ass!" she whispered – screamed "You know I don't have my sunlight ring" "Why would you do this!"

"Because we need you alive, but barely" said Tyler. "Can't have Klaus knowing that it was me who imprisoned you, and why would he guess? He knows that we broke up, but he wouldn't ever guess that it was Tyler, your ex-boyfriend, his first hybrid was the one who stole you away".

"Oh, and Care, if you don't act your part, I will tell Klaus how you were using him, how we were pretending for most of the time that I had cheated on you with Hayley." He smirked. "And guess what will happen to you when he finds out? A stake through the heart? Torture? Hell, maybe he will just bite you and watch you die for betraying him". She sucked in her breath. Tyler was right: Klaus would definitely kill her for her betrayal. Any fondness that he might have would be completely forgotten when he found out the truth.

Tyler walked out of the room, his point now made. The door slammed shut, leaving Caroline in complete silence once again. Quickly, not caring about the burn of sunlight on her skin, she grabbed the blood bag, tearing off the lid, her eyes turning red and the veins around her eyes appeared. The blood was beautiful, tasting like sunshine, all her favourite things in the world combined in one delicious and succulent mouthful. It wasn't enough, nowhere near enough, but it slightly lessened the burning fire that blazed down her throat. Slightly abated, she forced herself into a dark, dreamless slumber


	3. Chapter 3 : Betrayal

**Hey guys, I just wanted to say thanks for all the reviews and such. I didn't expect many people to actually like my writing, so thanks! Anyway, back to the story. **

"Caroline" a voice nearby whispered. Slowly, her senses returned to her. A pair of eyes, close to her own gleamed in the moonlit cell. His mouth twisted into a smile as he saw that she had woken. Blood was smeared across his lips, when she saw it her heart gave a slight shiver.

Klaus. Of course it would be Klaus. "C'mon sweetheart, let's get out of here" he said, grabbing her by the hand. She could smell the blood that covered him, rich and dark, it burned through her veins, spreading a dull ache through her body. There was something more, some alluring scent that was familiar. It smelt like pine, of fresh rain, dark forests bathed in moonlight. It pulsed, even stronger as she remembered the first time that Klaus had knocked on her door, the first time that he had spoken to her, confusing her with his words of sorrow, of great anger and pain, who could equally rip her heart out and also make it beat like a thousand drums. It was the smell of his blood, the very scent made her eyes darken, her throat ache.

"Come with me Caroline" he whispered, the deep pitch of his voice showed his desperation. Nearing the door, she stumbled. "No, I can't" she whispered "If I leave, you'll hurt me, and if I stay they'll hurt me." Suddenly, like a switch, Klaus's eyes burned yellow, his fangs extended and his entire being flickered to a dark, treacherous god. "You've got that right" he snarled, grabbing her neck, and snapping it swiftly.

"You know, I always found you to be quite annoying" a female voice drawled. "I mean, you're just such a goody-too-shoes. Maybe turning you was a mistake. You're even more of a pain in my ass."

"Katherine" Caroline groaned. "Right here. _Or am I_? Doesn't seem like the exact place that I'd hang out, does it?" she replied. "Who knows, perhaps you've finally gone crazy?"

"Just leave me alone. I'm dying, can't you just me rest in peace?" Caroline mumbled, her face lying against the dirty floor. "As a figment of your imagination, I'm supposed to help you make a life-altering decision, ya-da-ya, like something outta the movies" Katherine said, nudging her with the points of her high-heels. "Your imagination is _sooo_ boring" she stated as she flicked her hair off her shoulder, checking her makeup in a pocket mirror. "I mean, why you would imagine me is a complete mystery."

"Has anyone else made a psychic visit to Crazy- as-Coco-Pops- Caroline town?" Katherine asked, her eyebrow slightly raised. "Yeah, Klaus. He killed me, but I'd rather have that again than be visited by you" Caroline answered.

"Ouch, I'm so hurt. You know, it would be far easier if you just killed yourself. Save me the effort of having to track you down and doing it myself." "I know" Caroline sighed, trying to move, grimacing as she felt the numbness in her fingers and toes had spread down her arms and legs. Her skin was greying by the hour, soon she would be nothing more than a husk.

"So, going to offer some cosmic guru advice other than to just kill myself?" she asked Katherine. "Yeah, stop being such a prude and open your eyes. Redefine your approach to your life. Love whoever or whatever the heck you want. I mean, look at Damon, Stefan and me. You've got an eternity to make mistakes, to fall in and out of love. Don't live the rest of your life in regret" With that, Katherine disappeared, leaving the cell to complete silence once again.

"Come back" Caroline whimpered.


	4. Chapter 4 : Sins and Salvation

_Thud. Thud. Thud. _The beating of a heart alerted her to danger. A man, not Tyler, was approaching her, a syringe full of clear liquid in his hand. She couldn't move, as he stabbed her in the arm. The pain was so fierce that it blinded her, knocking her breath out. She couldn't simply black out, the lack of blood had turned her into nothing more than a dry, almost dead shell of a person. They strapped her to a chair, the vervain in the leather steaming as it hit her skin. Tyler was there, of course he was there. He didn't seem happy: she could see the frown on his face deepen as he saw her. She wouldn't look at him, wouldn't give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him.

"Now, Caroline, I'm not going to torture you. We simply want to talk" her kidnapper said, his face far too close to her. If she could have, she would have spat in his face, but instead she glared at him, hoping that his heart would explode if she glared hard enough.

"You can go to hell" she retorted, her voice still fierce despite it being little more than a whisper. He back-slapped her, knocking her head backwards. "Now, that wasn't very nice, was it?" "Now, we know that you have Klaus wrapped around your pretty blonde finger. And when he comes for you, and he will, we want you to tell us everything that he does, what he says, even who he feeds from. Understood?" he drawled, his breath tickling her neck.

"Now, why on Earth would she do that?" a voice suddenly echoed from across the room. Caroline felt deep shiver run down her spine as she recognized the deep voice, saw the glimmer of dark eyes, tousled curls and twisted smile.

A man fell to his knees, a hole where his heart had been a few seconds ago. Klaus examined the heart with disdain, throwing it across the room. He ambled into the room, eyes gleaming dangerously yellow. "K-Klaus" the man closest to Caroline whispered. Caroline was watching the room through glazed eyes, sure that this was another one of her dreams. A flash, the room was filled with the scent of more hybrid blood. He grabbed her interrogator by the neck, forcing him against the room. "Let him go" Tyler had suddenly found his voice.

"Now, if I were you, I wouldn't try to tell me what to do" he told Tyler, not even bothering to glance at him. He squeezed the man's neck harder "it might not be beneficial for your health" his accent grew more obvious as his anger increased. Tyler fled the room, not even glancing at Caroline, sidestepping the bodies on the floor. "Now, why did you steal this girl?" he asked the man he had pinned up against the wall. "Fuck you" the man replied. "Now, now, now, mind your language in front of the lady" he said, as he pulled out the hybrids heart, throwing it to the ground.

Caroline's mind at this point had wandered back into the dark shadow land of dark dreams, sure that this was another cruel trick made by her mind, her body comatose, and eyes staring at nothing.

"Ah sweet Caroline, we meet again. You know, it really was rude of you to ditch me at the party." Despite his joking words, his eyes showed his concern, darkening as he saw the grayness of her skin, the dried blood on her body, the burns from the sun that had failed to heal. He stroked a lock of hair from her face. He could hear the sluggish beat of her heart, the faint pulse of blood in her veins.

Caroline's mind wandered back to the present. Seeing Klaus, her body screamed at her to run, before he killed her or bit her. He smelt exactly as she had remembered the scent of his blood, alluring and familiar. "Are you going to kill me?" she whimpered, vaguely remembering asking him that on their first meeting. He grinned, dimples showing, "maybe not this time" he replied.

"I am truly sorry for how long it took me to find you, love. I never believed that Tyler would kidnap you" he said, his body coming entirely too close to Caroline. The pulse at his neck made her vision hazy, the scent of his blood made her entire body burn in flames. "Ah, foolish of me, you must be thirsty" he said, noticing her gazing at his neck. "What is that?" He asked, pointing to a bite on her wrist, his voice quickly growing alarmed. A hybrid must have bitten her when she was unaware. She could see the red veins, trailing from it, but couldn't feel the pain.

"Drink from me, Caroline, you must" he said gently, his eyes burning into her. He drew her close to him gently, indicating his neck, pretty much the only place that wasn't covered in hybrid blood. She tried to weakly protest with her eyes, but he refused. She could feel her fangs growing, gently she tore into his throat, the exhilarating taste of his blood filled her mouth. She knew she should be careful, mustn't take too much, but her thirst was simply too great. She could feel her dry veins filling with his blood, the gentle whoosh of her heart as it kicked back into life. She could feel Klaus move against her, gently embracing her, causing her heartbeat to increase even more. Klaus's blood was even better than she remembered: the taste of life itself, the taste of true immortality. She could feel her body warming against his, her cold face suddenly burned with embarrassment. Quickly, she retracted from his touch, feeling stronger than ever. She could see the two small puncture marks on his neck closing. Klaus quickly cleared his throat, not before giving her a sly grin.

"Let's get out of here" he moved to carry her but she retorted "I can walk, thanks". She walked straight-backed out of the room, despite the fact that her dress was tattered and that she was covered in filth. Klaus, slightly chuckling, followed her.


	5. Chapter 5: Sunset and Moonrise

As they reached the entrance, Caroline halted in her steps. "They've got my daylight ring, goddammit!" she could feel herself panicking: she wanted to get out of this stupid prison _now. _"Calm yourself, love, the last hybrid I killed had this" he held her ring, the lapis lazuli stone glinting in the dim light. "Great, gimme" she said, her hands reaching for it.

"On one condition" Klaus replied, holding the ring out of her reach. "You tell no one what really happened here. Tell them a relative of your father kidnapped you. Can't have those Salvatore's finding out about my errant hybrids."

"You know, you don't have to blackmail me" she replied, her voice growing colder. "I wouldn't tell them about Tyler. They'd come after him and his gang and probably kill him. I know Damon's been anxious to tear his heart out after Tyler bit him."

"Fair enough" he said, throwing her the ring. "Now, let's get the hell out of here" Caroline strode to the exit of the prison, slamming the door open. The sunlight temporarily dazzled her. After god-knows-how long in captivity, the scents of the outdoors hit in a wave. The smell of flowers blooming on the ground, the gentle whisper of a breeze through the trees, the faint scent of a deer grazing – with every beat of its heart the scent grew stronger, awakening the predator instinct within her.

Trying to distract herself, she turned Klaus, trying to ignore way the sunlight reflected off his eyes, turning them from dark blue into a colour that reminded her of a lake in summer, with greens, blues and yellow. "Where are we?" she asked.

"About three days south of Mystic Falls" his head was raised, watching a bird fly through the treetops. "I didn't bring a car, would have made it far too easy for the hybrids to track me. We'll have to run" he turned to her. "If you can keep up" he grinned mischievously. Caroline smiled back. They set off, the steps of their feet the only sound in the forest.

After a few hours, Caroline knew that she had to stop. She had to feed. "Stop" she demanded, pausing behind a fallen log. Klaus had been keeping an eye on them through the trek, knew what she needed. "I'll wait over by that stream" he said, strolling to a stream that ended in a small pond, fringed with pale lilies. Caroline gave a silent nod, before running into the forest.

She tried to ignore her mind, the one that was screaming that she should run as far away from Klaus as possible. Another part reminded her that this was probably one of her delirious nightmare, that she was really back in that cell.

She could smell the blood of a stag. It was huge, its antlers reaching an arms width wide. It didn't even see her, not until it was too late. She ripped into its throat, groaning as the warm blood filled her mouth, burning a warm track down into her stomach. It tasted, well, it tasted _gross_. Like grass and damp fur. Ignoring the taste, she drained the stag's body, until its heart gave out and its eyes turned milky. _Hard to imagine that I used to be a vegetarian before I was turned _she thought, internally rolling her eyes at the irony of her life, making a soft noise in her throat.

"What's so funny?" Klaus said from behind her. "Gah!" Caroline yelped. How could he have snuck up on her like that? Perhaps her super vamp hearing had been dimmed from the lack of blood. The adrenaline started to pump through her veins, making her feel giddy. "Oh, you know, the fact that when I was human, I was a vegetarian, and now look at me, still a vegetarian, but eating deer so that I won't tear some random guy's throat out. It's just very ironic" Caroline babbled, her body starting to shake with shock. She could feel her heart beating faster as she recalled the events of the last few days, starting to feel hysterics bubbling up her throat, suddenly claustrophobic with Klaus so near. She wanted to run until her feet bled, and when they did, just keep on running, until the earth stopped and the sea began.

Klaus looked at her, as her body started shaking. _What the hell do I do? _He thought. "Come on love, we have far to go before sundown" he said, holding his hand out to her. Nervously, Caroline put her hand in his, their bodies blurring as they headed deep in the woods.

They didn't really need to stop when the sun went down, but with the full moon so close, and Klaus, paranoid after centuries of being hunted, demanded that they stop at a camp that he had set up on the way to rescue her.

"Here" he said, throwing her a bag. "Bonnie packed this for you". Inside was a pair of jeans, a shirt, a hairbrush and some other essentials. "Yes!" she exclaimed as she pulled something from her bag. A toothbrush. Klaus looked at her like she had gone insane, one eyebrow quirked slightly higher than the other. "Hey, Mr-Big-Bad-Hybrid, you may be a thousand years old, but I'd like to see you try going weeks without brushing your teeth". She wandered off to get changed, ignoring the strange look that Klaus was sending her.

Kneeling next to a stream, she glanced at herself. She almost didn't recognise the person looking back at her. A pale face, still marked with blood and dirt, hair that stuck in all angles with clumps of blood and other things she didn't want to think about. Caroline sighed, stripped and stepped into the stream, hoping that Klaus wasn't a massive perv and was currently watching her.

Feeling approximately a billion times better, she quickly dressed, noticing a slip of paper that fell out of her jacket. She smiled, she would recognise Bonnie's handwriting anywhere.

_Hey Care, I hope that everything's okay. Klaus refuses to say anything apart from 'I'm going to find her'. We're all worried about you. Please, just come home safe. Love, Bonnie. P.S. Here's some Vervain just in case Klaus tries to compel you_. Inside her pocket was a small vial of clear liquid.

Fighting back the tears and large lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, she crumpled the note and slid it back into her pocket. She took a small sip of Vervain, still not entirely trusting her rescuer to not erase her memories, a small hiss as it steamed her mouth and burnt down her throat.

Straightening herself, she wandered back to the camp. Klaus appeared to have stayed in the exact same position she had left him in, with his back against a tall maple. She noticed that he seemed _tired, _or perhaps weary was the right word. His hair was far more ruffled than she had ever seen it, she could swear she could see dark circles under his eyes. He still wore the same blood splattered clothes. He gazed at her silently, his eyes seemed to say a thousand words. For a few moments, they simply looked at each other, his eyes seemed to see through her, all the secrets she kept from him, all the lies she had told him. If she could have, Caroline would have blushed, instead she cleared her throat to break the awkward silence that seemed to have built between them.

"So, how long was I out for?" she asked, trying to ignore the butterflies that had suddenly built in her stomach. "Three weeks" he replied, his voice seemed abnormally quiet, not reflecting any emotion whatsoever. .

"Wow, three weeks" she muttered. She had missed high school graduation. Suddenly, her life back at Mystic Falls seemed absurdly trivial. Graduation, prom, dating the high school jock, what did it all matter?

An owl hooted nearby. With her heightened senses, she could feel the small breeze that rustled the leaves as it flew overhead. She could see the tiny insects that flew in the moonlit sky, hear the mice that scuttled across the ground, their tiny feet pattering against the dry leaves. Most of all, she could sense _him. _The strange scent that had haunted her dreams, the way his eyes that at time seemed to pierce her very soul, the tilt of his lips that could easily turn into a radiant smile or a deadly smirk. The fact that he had not changed in one thousand years seemed quite easy to accept as he sat there, the moonlight made his skin look like stone, a sculpture of a man whose thoughts ran far away from her, his eyes seemed to gaze into a time that had long since diminished.

Caroline didn't try to break the silence, just sat there, for the first time in weeks, at peace. After a while, as the forest grew silent, she fell into a deep slumber.


	6. Chapter 6 : Confessions

When she woke, Klaus still hadn't moved. Only the movement of his eyes to look at her as she moved was the only indication that he wasn't in fact a statue. Caroline stretched, feeling her bones crack. She yawned, wishing that she was still asleep. "Good morning" Klaus said. "Morning" Caroline muttered, still half asleep. "You know, I could've kept watch for a bit" she said, feeling guilty. "I wouldn't dare interrupt your beauty sleep" Klaus replied, staring at her. Self-consciously, Caroline noticed she had a leaf sticking up in her hair. She tried to remove it without him noticing, watching as he turned his head away, the corners of his mouth twisted up in a smile. He turned his head back, moving swiftly towards her, suddenly becoming so close that she could see the sunlight reflecting against his eyelashes, could feel his warm breath against her face, causing her heart to suddenly race.

He gently removed another leaf from her hair, pushing a strand away from her face, moving his hand until it caressed her face. Caroline couldn't breathe, wouldn't dare. Her eyes moved to his lips, the lips that were blood red, full, so close and so tantalizing A few moments stretched out into eternity, both caught in a struggle, neither one willing to take the final step, but neither letting go. Finally Caroline stepped away, trying to ignore her racing heart and the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach.

"So are we gonna get out of here or what?" she asked, desperately trying to act normal. Klaus said nothing, simply nodding, grabbing her bag and striding past her. Caroline took a quick breath that she had been holding in, and followed.

Around noon, the forest cleared into a field of sunflowers. Caroline paused to admire the flowers that gently bobbed in the light breeze, contrasting with the clear blue sky to make the scene look like a postcard, almost too pretty to be real. Klaus paused next to her, also admiring the view. Building her courage, she looked him directly in the eye. In the centuries after, she would never forget how he returned her gaze, would never forget the smile that he returned. She knew she would cherish this moment forever, no matter what happened.

Suddenly, a farmer appeared from a lonely shed that stood in the center of the field. The bloodlust hit her instantly, almost pushing her backwards. It was too soon, too soon after her captivity, she still hadn't got a full control over the raging fire that eternally burned in her throat. It would be so _easy _to run forward, biting deep into the farmer's throat, loose herself in the pulsing red blood.

"You know, you could do it" Klaus said, his eyes had followed hers to the farmer. "Give in, accept your vampire nature." He glanced down at her, seeing the start of black veins appearing around her eyes. "I know" she said, quickly fleeing, knowing that Klaus would follow.

They settled down for the night near a fallen tree. Caroline's eyes had been tracing the twist and tangles of the roots, her eyesight picking up on everything, the small bead of amber that had crystallized on the end of a branch, the small insects that crawled along the bark.

"Why did you do it?" she asked. "Why did you save me?" she turned to him, noticing that he had found some different clothes, her stupid heart beat faster as she noticed his dark blue shirt matched his eyes.

"Do you really not know why?" he answered, looking at her. Caroline sat in silence for a while, then said "Do you know what would make this night perfect? Marshmallows and a campfire. I love s'mores." Klaus gave her a funny look, and then gave out a loud laugh that sent a shiver down Caroline's spine.

She lay down against the trunk of the tree, looking up at the stars. The moon was nearly at its apex, only a few more nights before it was full. "Have you ever just wanted to live out in the forest?" she asked. "Just cut yourself off from other people forever?"'

"I have once before" Klaus answered, leaning back next to her. "For five years, I just….disappeared. I had just been turned."

"What was it like?" she asked. "Lonely, at first, but it was also peaceful. I was far away from Mikael, and for the first time in my life, I was truly alone." Suddenly, he straightened his back, realizing that he had been sharing too much. "We'll be back in Mystic Falls tomorrow" Klaus said. "You should rest: we've got a long day ahead of us." Klaus moved away from her, Caroline missed the warmth of him near her.

"Goodnight Klaus" Caroline whispered. "Goodnight, love" he replied, his eyes looking out into the dark forest.


	7. Chapter 7 : Nightmare

The next day was overcast, matching Caroline's mood. She hadn't slept well. Her mind had been full of torture and pain, the sizzle of skin as it met sun, her screams as she was stabbed by sharp wooden stakes. Klaus had seen her face twist in pain as she slept, could hear her fast, breathless gasps. He had wanted to wake her, perhaps enter her mind and comfort her, but he knew Caroline. He knew that she would rather face things alone than be helped by _him, _a fact that left him feeling bitter and helpless.

They had hunted together that day, stalking a herd of deer. At first she had been hesitant, but figured that he had seen her at her worst, may as well just add this to the list. She grinned when she noticed the shift in Klaus's stance from normal to animalistic hunter, feeling her adrenaline soar. She knew that he probably didn't need to feed right now, he would probably find some girl and drain once he got home, but she didn't really care. All she cared about feeding the fire in her throat.

She had drained three deer's dry. At first she had avoided eye contact with Klaus, embarrassed by her red eyes, the fangs that were designed for killing. Once she had fed, he grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at his yellow eyes. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know" he said. Caroline ducked her head, with the adrenaline still pumping in her veins, she couldn't be close to him, couldn't stand all the things she wanted, but wouldn't ever have.

They ran far that day, not caring about the rain that soaked their bodies. The forest around them seemed to be poised for something, the silence was too foreboding. No birds flew, no insects moved. It gave Caroline the chills. If Bonnie was here, she'd be all witchy saying 'something bad is coming.' Klaus, with instincts honed after centuries of being hunted, slowed down. "It's probably nothing, right?" she asked, hoping that he'd agree. "I'm not sure" he replied, frowning slightly. They were still half a day away from Mystic Falls. "Hey, perhaps we could steal a car or something, and get drive the last leg" Caroline suggested. Klaus motioned for her to be silent, his hybrid ears picking up on something that her vampire ears obviously didn't.

As soon as the foreboding atmosphere had arrived, it fled, leaving the sky clear and the forest around them lush and green. Klaus, however was like a caged wolf, his entire body bristling with nervous energy, eyes always skimming the forest floor, the sky, the trees, his brows furrowed. As the hours wore on, he finally started to relax, instead of ignoring Caroline's desperate attempts at conversation, he started answering.

"Beethoven or Picasso?" "Picasso, all the way, although he wasn't altogether happy when I started dating his sister" Klaus looked at her. She rolled her eyes.

She started recognising landmarks, the old farmhouse that lay decrepit in a field of wild roses, the lake where she used to swim in at summer. She could feel herself getting more and more anxious the closer she got to Mystic Falls, could sense all the drama and misery that awaited her in this suffocatingly small town. Very soon she would have to put back her mask back on, once again become Caroline Forbes, Miss Mystic Falls and head cheerleader.

She passed a small meadow that had apples hanging from its branches. Feeling daring, she jumped the fence and climbed the tree, trying to get to the very top ones. "What are you doing?" Klaus asked, looking at her like she had gone insane. "Eating apples, what are you doing?" she replied, a cheeky grin appearing on her face. In a flash, Klaus had joined her in the treetop, his legs suddenly pressed against hers.

"You know, if I didn't know better, Miss Forbes, I'd say you were dawdling" he said, his accent punctuating each one of his words, instantly turning a simple statement into a question with a million different answers. Instead of answering, Caroline bit into an apple, enjoying the taste.

All too soon, they arrived on the fringes of town, still partially inside the forest. The sounds of the forest were mingling with the sounds of humanity, the roar of cars, the smell of tarmac. Caroline hovered, unwilling to leave the peace that had surrounded her for the last few days. She was about to tell Klaus her goodbyes, until she noticed how still he was, the look on his face as if he pondered the meaning of existence itself. She sat down on a small knoll, and together, for a while they just watched the world pass by.


	8. Chapter 8 : Revelations

**Hey guys, so this is it. The chapter I've been itching for you guys to read ever since I wrote it. I hope you like it!**

After a few hours, Caroline knew it was time. The sun was setting, and tonight was the full moon.

"Umm, Klaus?" she asked tentatively, her voice breaking the lingering silence between them. "I just wanted to say that thank you. For saving me, for killing all those hybrids for me-" she was babbling, trying to tell him how she felt, too distracted to notice Klaus drawing near her, his face less than a few centimetre away. Her words were cut off as Klaus pressed his lids against her.

Before Caroline's mind could even accept it, he had withdrew, his eyes downcast. "I'll be going now" he said, the tone of his voice flat.

He moved to leave, his steps taking the first steps away from her as she grabbed his wrist. Without saying anything, she swiftly kissed him. She could sense his surprise, he had expected rejection, never expected her to want him. At first he was tentative, his lips gentle against her. Caroline knew deep down that she shouldn't be doing this, that this would ruin the weird friendship that had developed between them, the unspoken bond of trust between them. She had to know, or she would spend decades regretting this moment.

That all changed the moment when Klaus realised what was happening, when he started kissing her back. He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world, his arms wrapped around her. She could feel her heartbeat increasing, loving the feel of her body against him, the heat that spread between them. Suddenly, Caroline wanted _more_, to forget where she began and he ended.

She pressed herself close to him, using her strength to push him against a nearby tree. Klaus tasted of heat, of pain and joy, and everything that she had ever wanted, all wrapped up in one. It was addictive. Her fingers wrapped in his curls, causing him to gasp. She smiled, her lips still against him, her teeth grazing his lips. She could feel the shiver that spread through him as her lips moved against his neck, lightly grazing the stubble on his neck. She could feel his heart beat even faster when there was less than a millimetre separating their bodies.

Forget kissing him in Tyler's body, this was entirely different, like when two live wires met, causing a blinding flash of electricity that could destroy both of them. She didn't care that she was _supposed _to hate him, that he was her enemy. She was simply revelling in the fact that she could do _anything_, be _anything_, as long as he was by her side.

The kiss ended with them still pressed together, both panting. She noticed that her hand had slid into his, but didn't dare move it. She wanted to stay in this moment with him forever. Klaus, for his part, seemed lost for words, staring at her like she was the only being in existence. She grinned, noticing that his hair was ruffled and his shirt askew. It made him look so young, so different from the distant and ancient creature she had always known him to be.

A rustle nearby brought them back to the world. Klaus instantly sprang back into defensive mode, his body taut, eyes flaring yellow. They heard footsteps: more than one person was nearby. Heartbeats, too slow to be human, surrounded them. Suddenly, a new noise began. _Clapping? _Caroline thought.

Suddenly a man appeared from behind a tree. Tyler. He was still clapping, a sarcastic smile on his face.

"What a wonderful performance Caroline, you deserve a standing ovation. I didn't know you were such a brilliant actress, had us all fooled. I bet Klaus actually believed it."

They were completely surrounded. Hybrids and werewolves surrounded them in a tight circle.

"You know, we couldn't have done this without you, Caroline. We owe you a lot" Tyler was still talking, his eyes fixed on her.

"Shut the hell up, Tyler" she hissed.

"Now, that's not a very nice thing to say to your boyfriend is it?" he replied, a twisted smirk on his face. "And if I were you, I'd be a bit nicer. You see, it's the full moon tonight, and my werewolf friends will be turning any minute now. I can control them, but only if you shut the hell up."

He gestured to Klaus. "Bind him" he said to a woman standing nearby. She was neither witch nor hybrid, her blood was thick with magic. A witch, probably a Bennett witch. She muttered some words that Caroline couldn't understand and slashed her hand with a knife.

Suddenly Klaus screamed, his eyes glowed yellow before he collapsed, his skin turning grey.

Tyler stood next to him, smiling. "You know, I got this idea from you. Having a witch around is so handy. It took us weeks to find the spell, but when we did, I knew we had you. Knew you couldn't resist rescuing Caroline, so we placed a tracking spell on her. We knew where you were all along."

"It helped, of course that she had already pretended to be interested in you. What, surprised?" Tyler said, more rambling to himself than anyone else. "You don't think that she'd ever be interested in _you, _you filthy Original piece of crap?"

Caroline, knowing that Tyler was distracted, was slowly moving away, towards the witch. All eyes were on Tyler, the hybrids and werewolves alike grinning as their new leader took his rightful place over the Original who had turned them and controlled them.

"Hey, Tyler" Caroline called. "You're so dumped" she said. Tyler stared back at her, eyes widening as she grabbed hold of his witch, her fangs extended. She ripped her teeth into the witches' neck, killing her instantly.

As if Caroline had set off a grenade, all hell broke loose.

Five hybrids jumped on to her. She hit one in the face, kicked one in the chest, until the remaining three tackled her to the ground. She was screaming, kicking, biting, anything to get free. The werewolves of the group started screaming as the moon rose, their bones cracking and eyes flaring yellow.

Caroline knew that she was about to die. Tyler was probably going to rip her heart out, or worse.

"You bitch!" Tyler screamed. He stalked towards her, face twisted with anger. "You have no idea what you've done!" he yelled.

"Oh yes, I do" Caroline smirked. One hybrid fell, its heart torn out, two, three. Caroline twirled with unnatural strength, breaking the neck of one hybrid, the other two fled off into the woods.

Klaus was a killing machine, slaying the werewolves before they turned, throwing their hearts to the ground. Tyler, watching his plan failed, was trying to escape. "Oh no you don't" Klaus whispered.

He slammed his fist into Tyler's chest. "Don't" Caroline yelled. Klaus didn't even look at her, too focused on ridding himself of this stupid boy who called himself alpha.

"Do it and it will be war. Do you want that?" she cried. Klaus, realising the truth in her words, let go of Tyler. "If I ever see you again, it will be the last thing you ever do, understand?" he whispered, his voice cutting. Tyler didn't reply, glaring at him as he lay helpless. "Get out of here before I change my mind" Klaus said. In a blur, Tyler left, taking with him the remainders of his group.

Silence fell. Caroline could sense Klaus's anger, threatening to boil over.

Klaus didn't even look at her, his whole face was twisted with anger. "Klaus…." Caroline whispered.

In a blur, Klaus was right in front of her. "What is it Caroline?" he asked, head slightly tilted, eyes hard and cold. "Are you going to apologise? No, why would you, according to you, I'm a monster. Think I don't know that? Think that some days I can't even look at myself in the mirror?" he laughed cruelly. "It's better than being like you, Caroline Forbes, the girl who pretends to be so high and mighty, to be so innocent, when really you're just as bloodthirsty and cruel as the rest of us."

He stared into her eyes, pupils dilating, voice dark and hypnotising. "I don't care if you're on vervain or not. Come near me again and I will rip your heart out. Now get out of here" he hissed.

Caroline fled, tears streaming down her eyes, leaving nothing but a slight breeze that rippled through the trees.


End file.
